Chief’s Island and Chobe National Park, Botswana

• More about your oliver guide: Laura Page
• Trip type: Adult, Family
• Ideal length of trip: 7 days

to & from

You can easily tack on a couple of days in Cape town or other parts of South Africa before of after visiting Botswana!

• We were traveling from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe so we drove 1.5 hours by private van to Kasane where we spent a two days at Chobe Game Lodge on Safari
• We then drove back to Kasane and flew with Mack Air (in 14 passenger prop plane!) to the Okavongo Delta region to an island called Chief's Camp where we also went on Safari

Where to Stay

• Chobe Game Lodge - the only game lodge in the Chobe National Park and on the Chobe River. It is a good sized comfortable facility in a glorious riverside setting.
• Sanctuary Chief's Camp - Situated on Chief’s Island in the Moremi Game Reserve, it is considered to have some of the finest game viewing in Africa. Located on Chief's Island, one of the many islands created by the seasonal floodwaters of the Okavango Delta in the Mombo Concession of the Moremi Game Reserve, Sanctuary Chief's Camp named after Chief Moremi, the hereditary king of the area who used the lands as his royal hunting grounds.

Where to Eat and Drink

You will definitely be well fed as the meals are delicious at both game lodges! All meals come included in the nightly rate, as well as safari twice a day and afternoon tea.

• Try a Boma, which is an important meal that is part of African bush culture. Essentially it is an outdoor barbecue with salads and traditional meats such as chicken, beef and pork, but sometimes games meats are offered, such as farmed zebra and warthog. Traditional African song and dance accompany the meal.

What to Do

Safari, Safari, Safari! Africa is all about the wildlife and that’s what you’ll do – waking up at 5am for the morning Safari Game Drive which leaves promptly at 6am. You’re usually back by 9:30am for a warm and yummy breakfast followed by a nap. The rest of day is at your leisure until 3pm Afternoon Tea and a 3:30pm Afternoon Safari Game Drive. You’ll be back in time to freshen up for 7:30pm Dinner. After a full day, you will dive right into your comfy bed!

• At Chobe Game Lodge: Take a boat ride up the coast to see beautiful herds of elephant in action on a River Safari. You can attend a stargazing presentation, garden and river walks as well as walking Safaris in the nearby Kasane forest. Alternatively, you can view game from the elevated boardwalk around the Lodge that is designed to showcase the neighboring rivers, islands and floodplains.
• At Chief's Camp: Take a mokoro (dugout canoe) ride on the Delta for the most peaceful experience ever. A traditional poler will drive the canoe for you so all you need to do is sit back, relax and take in the gorgeous scenery.

inside scoop

• At Sanctuary Chief's Camp ask for one of Monks' famous cocktails!

What to Pack

Many of the destinations require you to take a small prop plane which will only allow you to have 44 pounds of luggage per person. The game lodges do your laundry every night so no need to over pack. When going on Safari be sure to pack only natural color: khaki, forest green and browns so you appear as “one” when inside the Jeep to an animal

• If you go during our summer break, don't forget to pack a warm hat and gloves, long johns, and a warm down jacket. It is southern Africa's wintertime and it can be very chilly on the morning Game Drives (around 50 degrees).
• In the afternoons it can get up to the mid-70's so don't forget to wear layers and bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat
• If you can carry it, a good set of binoculars are a brilliant thing to have along. Being able to see the animals up close from the safety and comfort of your safari jeep is key!
• Bring a camera that takes good photos (preferably one with a long zoom)